Equal Representation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, if you went out on the street today and asked someone, almost anybody on the street, and said: Do you know that we do a Census every 10 years and we count up the number of people in the country, and do you think it is okay if we found out how many of these people are citizens?

That person would say: Well, yes, but aren't you already doing that.

That is what they would think.

All this bill says is: Let's count persons, like the Constitution says, but let's also find out how many are citizens because that is what should determine how congressional representation, how apportionment is done.

It is so darn simple.

By the way, to my good friend from Maryland on the other side, we ask all kinds of other questions on the Census anyway.

What is wrong with asking the fundamental question: Are you a citizen of this great country, the greatest country ever?

That is all this does, and that is an important number to get. It is important information to get when you are figuring out who is going to represent and how many congressional Members there will be from each of the respective States.

This couldn't be more simple. I don't know why they oppose it, but they always do.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

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